Doner launches creative incubator D-313

Doner_Detroit_D313

Doner Detroit launches new downtown incubator

Doner Detroit is doubling down on bringing business, talent and marketing dollars to Detroit, with the launch of D-313 a new collaborative creative space that connects the agency more closely with the heart of the city’s downtown creative corridor.

Located at 1456 Woodward Ave, in close proximity to the new Shinola Hotel, Quicken Loans, John Varvatos, and creative incubators like Ponyride, WeWork and TechTown, the newly-opened outpost will serve as a space where the agency can bring together world-renowned brands with downtown’s entrepreneurs, creators, artists, influencers and emerging talent for creative marketing collaborations.

According to a spokeswoman, the agency has hosted clients including Coca-Cola, Cox Communications, McDonald’s and the UPS Store in the space, introducing them to the unique culture of Downtown Detroit.
 
Doner_Detroit_D313“Metro Detroit has been Doner’s world headquarters for over 80 years, but we have yet to maximize the groundswell of untapped creative potential beating inside of our own city,” said Doner CEO David DeMuth “Having dedicated space downtown brings us closer to the resilient, fiery creative spirit of Detroit, where we can continue to enrich our work, attract more diverse talent and deepen the impact we are creating for our clients and our community.” 
 
Doner was founded 80 years ago in downtown Detroit to compete with a more established Madison Avenue. Since then, the agency has grown into a global creative powerhouse with additional hubs in London and Los Angeles, by creating modern, audacious work for the world’s most ambitious brands.

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Despite its Motor City roots, Doner has stretched well beyond the auto category to amass a diverse client portfolio, including Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Coca-Cola, Cox Communications, Del Monte, McDonald’s, Nestlé, Netflix, Harman, Huawei, Smithfield Foods and The UPS Store, among others.
 

1456 Woodward Ave_Detroit_D313
A new hub for content creation.

The downtown space deepens Doner’s investment in the diverse Detroit community by bridging the gap between the city’s creative culture and businesses. It will be a hub for the agency’s “Experience Kitchen,” created in response to an insatiable appetite for faster, leaner ways to deliver storytelling, content creation, prototyping and social engagement.

“Traditional offices are designed for tasks, not inspiration, so everything about D-313 is designed with collaboration and innovation in mind,” said Doner Global CCO Eric Weisberg. “From gigabit internet to modular furniture, the space is built to flex and adapt in ways that allow us to optimize creativity. In minutes, it can transform from a living room, to a classroom, to a formal meeting space.” 

D-313 will also become a collaborative space for Doner’s partnerships with local schools and universities, including a weekly class for the Center for Creative Studies being taught by Doner creatives, seminars for the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, and the agency’s ongoing partnership with MSU MediaLab that is using cutting-edge technology to test emotional and physiological responses to advertising and digital content.
   
 
Contact Colin Costello at colin@reelchicago.com or follow him on Twitter @colincostello10.